


motive

by soudont



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Allergies, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista! Neil, First Dates, M/M, lord save harrison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27529594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soudont/pseuds/soudont
Summary: Shit. Hurry up and say something, Harrison! You look really fucking stupid!“.. Coffee.” He mumbled. “Black, please.”What the fuck?! Anything but that, you idiot! Even eating a gross, overly sweet brownie is better than drinking something that makes your mouth swell up like Violet Beauregarde!.or; harrison keeps going to this coffee shop, only because of the cute barista that works there.only problem is, he's allergic to coffee.
Relationships: Harrison/Science Camp Neil (Camp Camp)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	motive

**Author's Note:**

> if u can get my references u get a reward lmao  
> enjoy <3

Harrison was pretty much fucked.

Preston was an avid cafe hopper. He just really loved going to coffee shops, then getting a treat and a drink. He could never decide which one was his favorite, so instead opted to go to all of them. It was a hobby, he supposed, albeit an expensive one. Since Harrison was his friend, he was often dragged along when Preston found a new cafe. Harrison normally wouldn’t mind it. He loved hanging out with Preston and he really enjoyed the atmosphere of the shops, but there was one _small_ issue.

Harrison was allergic to coffee.

Now, there _were_ solutions to this problem. Despite not really liking pastries (to him, it felt like biting into pure sugar and that grossed him out) and not being able to drink coffee, Harrison enjoyed the trips. He still desperately needed the caffeine, after all, so he drank a lot of tea. And cafes served tea. It was all good.

Until Preston decided to drag Harrison into a special little coffee shop called _The Grind_.

 _The Grind_ itself was very modernized, with LED lights and neon signs on the windows, but it wasn’t like it wasn’t comfortable. There were enormous bean bag chairs in the corner and on the other side there were recliners. Along the walls were tiny little booths and under the tables there were brightly colored lights. It looked really technological in there and although that usually wasn’t Harrison’s thing, he found himself appreciating the dedication to the aesthetic. Besides, Preston seemed excited to be there and that was enough for Harrison to be happy.

“Come on!” Preston took Harrison by the hand and (quite aggressively) tugged him up to the counter. Harrison let himself be dragged, stumbling a little bit behind the overly-energized Preston. They reached the counter and Harrison nearly tripped over his own feet when Preston abruptly stopped. He looked up to look over the menu. It didn’t take long for him to realize something was off, squinting at the menu.

There wasn’t any tea. There was only coffee and gross pastries that he _really_ didn’t want.

He tugged on Preston’s sleeve to try and get him to notice his predicament, but he had already rung the little bell to signify they needed assistance. Harrison bit his lip, already anxious about the inevitably embarrassing encounter with a stranger behind the counter. He focused his attention back onto the backboards, scanning desperately to see if he had made some sort of mistake, but to no avail. Maybe if he excused himself to go save a booth..

“What can I get you?”

Harrison was snapped back into reality by the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He grimaced, knowing that it was a barista. There was no getting out of it. He squeezed his eyes shut, mentally preparing himself for the awkward moment where he would have to say ' _Ha-ha, actually, I don’t want anything!'_ , and he sucked in a breath and opened his eyes just as Preston started talking.

 _Oh_.

Harrison blinked. It was like everything went in slow motion except his pulse and all sound was blocked out except for the thumping of his heart. Preston’s voice seemed so far away, like he wasn’t even next to him anymore. He felt like kicking himself but it was like he was frozen. His brain was short circuiting. That was something that hadn’t happened to him in years, but especially not from looking at a relatively attractive barista.

Yeah, okay, so _maybe_ the barista looked like his type. He had really curly brown hair that was in a mop at the top of his head. His jaw was square (almost annoyingly sharp, like it was natural) and his eyes looked so crystal blue that Harrison figured the sky might be jealous. He looked bored, but he looked really good in the black button up and the red and blue apron. Harrison had never felt more single in all his life.

His hearing tuned back in when he realized that Preston had finished ordering. Suddenly, the barista’s attention was on him, his bright blue eyes were on him, and he felt choked up. He saw the barista’s mouth move and he thought he heard something like ‘And you?’, but his mouth felt so dry that he couldn’t respond, not to mention his jaw was not functioning anymore. Instead he remained frozen, eyes wide. Preston sent him a look that started out quizzical but quickly morphed into a smug one.

“Are you going to order anything or are you just going to keep staring?”

And then the barista leaned over the counter, smirked, and arched a brow, his (annoyingly beautiful) eyes flashing with what looked like amusement.

Harrison’s heart stopped, which couldn’t have been healthy. He was stunned, but he could feel his cheeks heating up rapidly. He wasn’t going to say anything (he was pretty sure he couldn’t anyway), but then Preston kicked him in the shin and he flinched, yelping loudly.

“ _No!_ No, thank you, I’m good.” He waved his hands frantically, speech completely rushed. His accent felt heavy on his tongue. He knew that it was going to be awkward, but this was downright _excruciating_. He never felt like such an idiot.

But the barista’s smirk only got _wider_.

“Alright, I’ll call when your coffee’s ready.”

With that, Harrison’s will to move suddenly surged into him again, and he grabbed Preston by the arm and pulled him to a booth. Almost immediately, he flopped down on the chair and slammed his head onto the table. Preston only laughed at him, calmly sitting himself down and folding his hands together.

“So, _whatever_ was _that_ about?” Preston practically purred out, still giggling.

“Don’t play dumb. You _know_.” Harrison groaned into the table.

“I think he knew, too. Did you see the way he smiled at you?” The thespian whispered the question, clearly giddy about any possibilities of romance. Harrison wanted to go outside and dig himself a new grave.

“ _No_ , Preston, I _didn’t_ notice. Especially not since _I was staring right at him._ ” He lifted his head up to glare at his friend, resting his chin on the table. Preston pursed his lips and tilted his chin up sassily, looking down at Harrison from the corner of his eye.

“Well, _geez_. Chill with the sarcasm.” He pouted, tossing his hair once. “It’s not like it was hopeless. He didn’t seem creeped out. You have a chance still!” Preston talked animatedly, pointing down at him. Harrison huffed, letting his eyes slip shut.

“I don’t even know his name.” He sighed melancholically. “I just thought he was kinda handsome and panicked. I always do around attractive people, you know this.” He waved one of his hands lazily.

“So, if he walked over, would you freak out again?” Preston asked.

Harrison shrugged and looked up at his friend. Preston’s eyes weren’t focused on him, instead staring behind him. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat up abruptly. He looked over his shoulder and immediately felt a sense of dread course through his veins. He whipped his head back over to Preston, who was now smiling at him. His eyebrow twitched.

“ _Fuck you_.” He hissed, pointedly staring down at the table.

The sound of footsteps approached and Harrison glared at the leather slides that stopped next to the table, hoping to whatever god existed that his blush wasn’t obvious. Preston kicked him under the table and he redirected his glare to him.

“It’s not busy so I thought it was easier to just bring it to you.” The barista’s voice filled Harrison’s ears and he felt his pulse quicken again. He hesitantly moved his gaze to the man’s face and realized how tall he actually was. Harrison’s breath hitched. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Preston smirking, casually taking a sip out of his mug. Harrison felt like socking him.

“Thank you. It’s wonderful.” He smiled sweetly up at the barista and fluttered his eyelashes. Harrison _really_ felt like socking him.

“You’re welcome.” The man shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled, but it looked forced. Preston seemed to notice it too, because his smile drooped the smallest bit. Harrison felt a little bit better, but he still kept quiet.

“I should get moving.” He jerked his head back towards the counter. Harrison felt relief course through his body, but there was also that singe of disappointment that felt like it was burning through his skin. Preston made an ‘O’ shape with his lips.

“Alright, then. See you.” He smiled politely.

“Ah.” The man suddenly turned, focusing his attention back onto Harrison. He pointed casually at him. “You’re sure I can’t get you anything?” He grinned lazily, raising an eyebrow. His eyes shined with that same amusement from before and Harrison suddenly felt hot.

“Oh, um. No, thank you.” He flushed red, averting his gaze and fiddling with his fingers. “I’m.. Uh. I’m fine. Thanks.” He looked back up and smiled sheepishly. The barista’s grin turned crooked, almost appreciative. Harrison’s stomach did a backflip.

“Alright.” The man smiled gently. “I’ll see you around, then.” He waved and Harrison watched him as he strolled back behind the counter. Preston immediately started bouncing in his seat.

“Did you see that?!” He squealed softly. “He was totally flirting! Oh my god, Harrison! You’re _so_ in!” He put his drink down and clapped giddily, eyes lighting up like sparklers. Harrison groaned quietly, putting his head in his hands.

“Preston, _shut up_.”

* * *

Only a few days later, Harrison found himself stopping in front of _The Grind_ again.

Harrison liked to take mindless strolls around the city some days, wanting to clear his head after hours upon hours of classes and work. He somehow ended up on the same street as the cafe and when he was passing by his stomach flipped. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt some sort of urge. A strange pull that wanted him to open the doors again, despite no actual reason to. He couldn’t even drink coffee. He hesitated on the street, debating to himself, then cursed quietly under his breath and pulled the door open to venture in again.

The place was the same as before, but now Harrison could take in the aura and the details. It smelt like coffee beans and glaze, calming and sickeningly sweet. He awkwardly glanced around the place, nervously fiddling with his sleeve. His eyes landed on the front counter, where that same barista from a few days ago was lazily scrolling through something on his phone.

He froze up near the door again. His desire to jump into traffic suddenly increased ten fold, embarrassment returning with force. He wanted to turn around and just leave, like he made a mistake, but even if he tried, it was like he couldn’t. That strange pull from earlier had a firm grip on him now and he couldn’t find himself to back out the door again. He looked around the place for a possible escape, but his focus only returned to the barista again.

Just his luck, while he was debating, the man looked up from his phone and locked eyes with him.

The man’s eyes widened and he dropped his phone on the counter. Harrison didn’t really blame him; _He_ even thought that he was never going to come back to this place. He suddenly felt kind of ill, stomach twisting up. He forced himself to not stare this time and just walk forward. When he reached the counter, the man smiled and quirked up a brow.

“It’s you again.” He mused, cocking his head to the side. “No Preston today?” Harrison started to turn his head away, flustered, but then his eyes widened in realization.

“How did you know his name?” He whipped his head forwards, fully facing the man in front of him.

“You know we take names for orders, right?” The barista grinned. Harrison suddenly felt stupid. “Speaking of which, I didn’t catch yours last time.” He leaned on the counter, resting his chin in his palm. Harrison started to fiddle with his sleeve again, pulling it down over his hand.

“.. Harrison. My name is Harrison.” He mumbled, feeling his cheeks start burning again.

“Alright then.” The barista nodded. “You going to order this time, Harrison? Or are you just going to stare at me again?”

Harrison grimaced, already feeling unnecessarily flustered. He really needed to order. He couldn’t just randomly show up by himself and then not order something. He hesitated, staring blankly at the menu, knowing full well he really didn’t want to order anything. Harrison refocused his attention onto the barista, who was looking at him expectantly. He gulped.

_Shit. Hurry up and say something, Harrison! You look really fucking stupid!_

“.. Coffee.” He mumbled. “Black, please.”

_What the fuck?! Anything but that, you idiot! Even eating a gross, overly sweet brownie is better than drinking something that makes your mouth swell up like Violet Beauregarde!_

Harrison wrapped his arms around his middle and sent a sheepish look. The barista had a confused expression on his face, then raised his eyebrows and shrugged casually.

“I didn’t take you for the plain coffee type, sorry.” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Harrison pursed his lips because technically he was right, but he needed to act like he wasn’t so he didn’t look like an idiot twice in a row. He furrowed his eyebrows. _What would_ Preston _do here?_

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He sassed, feigning offense. His stomach only settled for a brief moment. The barista looked surprised for a split second, but then a smile slowly stretched across his face.

“Don’t worry about it.” He chuckled. “One black coffee for Harrison, then. To go or for here?”

_To go! You can’t stay here! You’ll probably, like, uh.. die! Or something like that!_

“For here, please.”

_God damn it, Harrison!_

“Alright, I’ll just bring it to you since we’re not busy this time either. Sit wherever.” The barista stood up straight and cracked his knuckles, then turned around to quickly brew up Harrison’s coffee (that Harrison was still very much allergic to).

Harrison, in turn, glanced over to where his booth from last time was and found that it was empty again, so he carefully walked over and sat down there. He pulled the sleeves of his sweater over his hands and began to wait patiently, regretting all of his irrational decisions of the day so far.

What was he thinking? That barista was probably going to kill him at some point. The man’s favorite activity while he was there was just to embarrass him. Not to mention that he was good at it, because Harrison was a mess when around people he found attractive. A part of him wanted to blame it on Preston, because Preston is the one that dragged him to _The Grind_ in the first place, but if Harrison didn’t show up a second time, none of this would’ve happened. _Fuck._

Since it was plain old black coffee, it didn’t take long for the barista to finish brewing it. Harrison was busy staring at his sleeves, so he was sort of startled when the man placed the mug down in front of him. The clink made him jump a little and right after he heard the man chuckle.

“Did I scare you?” Harrison looked up to make eye contact and immediately regretted it. Those crystal eyes had amusement swimming in them again. He felt like he could stare at them all day, then he blushed at the very idea of doing so. He quickly looked down again, straight at the man’s chest. Just as he was noticing the lack of a name tag on the man’s shirt, he realized he was silent for too long and looked up again.

“A little bit.” He mumbled, tugging harshly on his sleeve. The man’s eyes twinkled like that was his goal in the first place. Harrison wanted to t-bone into a yacht.

“Sorry about that.” He didn’t look sorry at all. “Enjoy your coffee.”

And then he smiled softly and Harrison noticed something different; He looked nervous behind the confident mask. His heart perked up again and he subconsciously fluttered his eyelashes, unable to move otherwise. The thumping in his chest only got louder when he noticed that the barista’s cheeks developed the tiniest bit of color.

 _Oh yeah_ , Harrison was _fucked_.

* * *

The third time was the kicker.

Harrison didn’t know why he stopped again, but seeing that familiar mop of curls made him venture back into _The Grind_ literally the next day. He still felt nervous but at least the place was now familiar to him, making him at least feel a little better. There was a slight hesitation in his stepping at first, but he forced himself to keep walking. Stopping was out of the question at that point; He’d been there more than once now and he knew the barista.

Well, “ _knowing_ ” is relative. He _recognized_ him.

Harrison was lucky that the man didn’t notice that he didn’t drink the coffee at all last time; He actually poured some into the pot of a fake plant nearby. As he walked by the plant, he felt that little twinge of guilt, but he reassured himself by remembering that the plant wasn’t alive.

The barista noticed him right away this time. He raised an eyebrow and laughed, shaking his head. Harrison couldn’t hear the sound of his laughter from where he was, but he did hear what he said as he approached the counter.

“You seem to like it here, hm?” The man crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. Harrison looked up to make eye contact and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Not like you’re any different. What, do you, like, live here or something?” He crossed his arms and mimicked the barista’s head cock, raising an eyebrow and smiling with (fake) confidence. It was still nerve-racking to interact with the man, but he could at least talk with and look at him now. He was pretty sure that if the man said anything relatively teasing, though, he would shut down like an old Windows computer.

“Didn’t expect that.” He raised his hands up in mock surrender. “You’re pretty close, actually. I live in the apartment complex next door. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I also work quite a bit.”

“Actually, I barely noticed at all.” Harrison said. _Clearly a lie._

“You just asked if I lived here.” The barista snickered. _And, of course, he noticed._

Harrison frowned, pointedly turning his head away. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the barista’s smile dropping. He went silent. Harrison wasn’t even there for more than five minutes and he already embarrassed himself. _Good going, dumbass._

“Do you want the same as last time? Black coffee for here?” The barista changed the subject quickly, like he knew that Harrison was uncomfortable. Harrison turned his head back and noticed that the man was looking to the side. He suddenly realized that he wasn’t the only one who was feeling awkward.

_Alright, Harrison. Just order a pastry this time. Don’t get the one thing you literally cannot have._

“I- Um. Yes, please.”

_Why do I even bother trying?_

I’ll bring it out as soon as it’s ready. Go ahead and sit in your booth.” The barista jerked his head towards the booth that Harrison had been sitting in both times. He was about to ask how he knew that was where he wanted to sit, but then he figured that it would be rather obvious, and also the man already walked away from the front. So, he went and sat down. In a few minutes, the mug was set down in front of him. (He knew logically that it’s plain old coffee and so it was fast to make, but he was still kind of surprised at the speed.)

“Thank you.” Harrison mumbled, glancing up and smiling as sweet as he could. The barista blinked, then lifted one finger and turned on his heel. Harrison watched as the man walked back behind the counter and into the back room. He couldn’t really explain why, but he had felt disappointed and was sad to see him go without even a word. He looked down back at his coffee and almost wanted to dump the entire thing into the plant again.

“Hey, uh, Nurf? Can you watch the counter? I’m going on break.” Harrison whipped his head back over to the entrance of the back room, seeing the man in the doorway. He was untying the apron around his waist and when he finished, he tossed it lazily into the back. Out of the back room came a man that was even taller than the barista. He was big and buff looking, with messy red hair and freckles that littered around his entire face.

Harrison was too busy analyzing the new worker, who was called Nurf, apparently, and he didn’t notice the barista returning to his table until he was pretty much right in front of him. He jolted and made some sort of noise that was a mixture of surprise and embarrassment, then covered his mouth right after. The man laughed a little.

“Sorry, sorry. Do you mind if I sit?” He smiled nervously, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Harrison blinked, confused for a minute, before jumping out of realization.

“Oh! No, please do.” He waved his hands in front of his face. “Oh wait, no, I mean- _Jesus Christ_. I don’t mind. Just sit.” He gestured towards the other seat with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. _Good fucking going._

Luckily, despite Harrison embarrassing himself again, the barista only chuckled and sat down in front of him. His knees just barely brushed against Harrison’s, but Harrison almost jerked his knees up to hit the table. The touch was burning; It was almost _electrifying_.

“So,” The barista drummed his fingers on the table. “You must really like the atmosphere here, huh?” He cocked his head again. The man wasn’t smiling this time; Harrison almost felt intimidated. He looked almost serious, almost robotic.

Harrison didn’t really know what to say. The man’s new aura was intimidating and the aesthetic of _The Grind_ was really not his favorite. He couldn’t say that it was actually the coffee because he didn’t get anything his first time around (and he also can’t even drink the stuff). It wasn’t like he could explain the sudden urges he got to visit the place; That’d probably sound insane. He couldn’t just go out and say ‘ _Oh yeah, I just had a certain feeling that I should come inside! I don’t get it either!’_

The only reason Harrison could even think of was that _he_ worked there.

But that couldn’t be true. Harrison barely knew the guy. It was unlikely that he was developing feelings for someone he just met. He doesn’t think that way, his heart doesn’t think that way, and it’s certainly never happened before. Harrison was a true believer of the idea that ‘love at first sight’ did not exist. He was not there for that stupid barista.

“I guess so?” Harrison lied. The man nodded to signify he was listening.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have thought that this was your scene.” The barista was back to smiling and then he shrugged. Harrison internally sighed.

_You are one-hundred percent correct there, Mr. Barista._

“You also thought I wouldn’t be the type to drink black coffee, yet here we are.” He smirked.

_You were also correct on that one, too._

“Touché.” The man chuckled, shaking his head the smallest bit. “How come Preston never comes around with you? Did he not like it here? Because if so, I _completely_ understand that.” He flicked his wrist and raised both eyebrows, lips forming a thin line.

Harrison couldn’t help himself; The man’s face looked silly. He giggled, covering his mouth with one hand. The barista’s smile dropped like he was confused, but then it slowly stretched back onto his face. It was that same appreciative look he sent him the first day he was here and if Harrison were none the wiser he might’ve interpreted it as smitten.

“He’s a café hopper, really. He rarely goes to the same place twice, but he drags me along a lot.” Harrison explained. “So, you don’t like it here?” He questioned, subconsciously fluttering his eyelashes in curiosity.

“Oh, no. It’s fine here.” The man shrugged. “It’s just kind of an overwhelming place. The aesthetic is clearly not ‘coffee shop.’ We also don’t sell that much shit because I’m fairly certain all the budget went to the fucking decor.” The barista sighed harshly, rolling his eyes. Clearly this fact annoyed him. Harrison could understand; He’s had his fair share of dumbass bosses.

“Well, you have a fair share of pastries at least..?” Harrison giggled out, smiling with uncertainty.

“We don’t even have fucking _croissants_.” The man deadpanned. Harrison snorted.

“I didn’t even notice that.” He laughed behind his hand. “This place does have a pretty shitty selection and the decor is still pretty bad. Waste of money.” The man pursed his lips at first, but then he smiled in that appreciative way again, eyes twinkling, and Harrison felt his cheeks growing hot. Why did that man’s eyes have to be so damn pretty? It was causing damage to Harrison’s mental wellbeing and he couldn’t get his heart to calm down.

“I like your laugh.” The man said. Harrison nearly choked on his own spit.

“.. Really?” He mumbled. His face felt like it was over one-thousand degrees and he yanked hard on his sleeve. He willed his heart to calm itself because the thumping was getting way too loud in his ears.

“Yeah.” The man smiled softly. “It’s cute.”

Harrison froze. He blinked approximately three times, trying to register what _exactly_ he heard in the correct way. The man’s eyes widened himself, like he was shocked and embarrassed at his own words. Harrison watched as his cheeks turned pink and his heart started going wild. The man opened his mouth, then closed it, and then opened it again.

“I mean, I-”

“Yo, hate to interrupt your little date, but your ten minutes are up.” The other employee, Nurf, called from the front counter. The man across from Harrison turned and glared, but then he looked apologetically back at Harrison.

“Gotta go, I’m sorry.” He shrugged. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m guessing?” He smirked down at Harrison as he stood. Harrison flushed a little more.

“I suppose so.” He pursed his lips. The man’s smirk only seemed to get wider.

“Great. See you then.” He began to walk away, back to the counter, but then he stopped and turned around. “Oh! Before I forget again, since you never asked for it, my name’s Neil!” He started to wave, but then Nurf came out from behind the counter, grabbed him, and shoved him into the back. This was immediately followed by a loud cursing. Despite just realizing he never asked for his name, Harrison giggled again, his heart thumping hard against his ribcage.

 _Yep_ , Harrison was absolutely _fucked._

* * *

“So, you developed a crush on that barista you made a fool of yourself in front of, and now you’re visiting the place pretty much daily just to see him?”

“Pretty much.” Harrison, who had just face-planted onto Preston’s bed, groaned into the pillow.

“That sounds like some romance novel type shit, Harri.” Preston clicked his tongue, pushing the needle and thread through whatever fabric he was using for whatever costume he was making. Harrison honestly had no idea what the goal was; He just knew that he was sewing something.

“It gets worse.” He whined, sitting up abruptly. “I’ve been buying _coffee_ as an excuse to be there. They don’t have any tea.” Preston looked up from his sewing then and furrowed his eyebrows at him.

“You haven’t been drinking it, have you?” Preston raised one perfectly-plucked eyebrow.

“Preston, if I had been drinking it, I’d have been in the hospital every day for blowing up like a fucking balloon animal.” Harrison deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “I’m not stupid enough to drink something that I’m allergic to.”

“I’m assuming that Neil doesn’t know you’re allergic?” Preston resumed his sewing, concern for his friend’s health out of the way. Harrison pursed his lips.

“I never told him, no.”

“So, you’ve been ordering coffee and just _not_ drinking it? Wouldn’t he suspect something?” Preston mused, raising his eyebrows but keeping his attention on his work.

“.. I don’t know.” Harrison mumbled. “He apparently was valedictorian in his class, so he’d probably have noticed something over time.”

“How long has this been happening?”

“About four weeks.” Harrison sighed. “ _Shit_ , he’s definitely noticed then.”

“Harrison, honey, as much as I love this kind of cliche romance, you’re being an absolute _buffoon_.” Preston deadpanned, setting his project on his lap and looking up. “Just ask him on a date.”

“Preston, I can’t do that!” Harrison flopped onto his back on the mattress, flailing his arms. “If Neil found out that I have a dumb crush on him, I think I’d- I don’t know! I’d want to make _myself_ disappear!”

“And they call _me_ the drama queen..” Preston mumbled to himself.

“Hey!”

“I’m serious, Harrison. I saw the way he looked at you the first time you met.” Preston rolled his eyes gracefully. “And from what you’ve been telling me, it seems like he likes you, too. So, grow a pair and ask him out before it’s too late.”

Harrison pouted, crossing his arms and caving in on himself.

“Okay.”

* * *

Harrison was pretty sure his nerves were already trying to kill him as he walked into _The Grind_ the next day. Preston was pretty adamant on him asking Neil on a date; He had even made him promise to do Preston’s laundry for a month if he didn’t. (That’s already terrifying on it’s own, and in some ways even worse than asking the guy Harrison has been fawning over for about a month on a date.)

He walked up to the counter, as per usual. Neil smiled at him, as per usual. He ordered a black coffee, as per usual, but when he tried to give the money, Neil swatted his hand away, which was _not_ usual _at all_.

“It’s on the house today.” Neil informed, smile dropping, and suddenly Harrison was now _petrified_.

Harrison nodded worriedly, too nervous to speak as if it was their first meeting all over again. He watched as Neil turned around to brew his coffee, and then awkwardly left the counter himself. He moved towards his booth, sitting down and folding his hands together. He felt rigid, stiff, unable to relax. Preston’s threat looming over his head and the fact that Neil was acting strange wasn’t doing much to help calm him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nurf come out of the back room and his heart nearly stopped.  
_What- Already?! I’m not ready yet! Fuck! Fuck!_

He was honestly about to just get up and leave, month of laundry be damned, but it was too late. Neil had already begun walking up to the booth and Harrison was forced to sit and wait for a drink he was allergic to and his inevitable doom.

“Hey.” Neil said as he set down the mug in front of Harrison, then slid down into the seat across from him. Harrison gulped, watching Neil cross his arms on the table and just kind of looked at him. He wrapped his hands around the mug to not fidget nervously.

“.. Hi.” He mumbled. Things were already getting awkward and he hadn’t even been there for more than fifteen minutes. Neil didn’t say anything, just sat and kept eye contact. Harrison felt like Neil’s eyes, the same eyes that typically make him feel hazy, were boring into his soul faster than a speeding bullet. He wondered briefly if Neil was trying to intimidate him and then immediately determined that if he was, it was definitely working.

“.. Why did you pay for my coffee today?” Harrison caved under the pressure and attempted to cut through the tension with the most prevalent thing on his mind. Neil paused, but then raised his eyebrows slowly. He unclasped his hands and reached carefully across the table, gently swatting Harrison’s hands away from his drink. When Harrison let go, he took the drink and raised it to his lips, taking one long sip from it. Harrison watched carefully, the knot in his stomach getting tighter when Neil set the mug back on the table.

“You probably shouldn’t waste money on something you don’t actually drink.”

_Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh G-_

“ _Oh, God._ ” Harrison caved in on himself, face burning as the blood rushed in. “I- Oh, wait. _Fuck_ , I- I wasn’t ready for this yet- Oh, fuck, I just- _Fuck_. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie so much, I just wanted to- Shit, _shit_. I’m so sorry. Oh, dear- _Shit_. I’m so, _so_ sorry- I just-”

“ _Stop_.” Neil reached over and gently brushed his fingers once over Harrison’s knuckles and he immediately went still as a statue. “It doesn’t affect me much, so there’s no need to apologize. If anything, you should be apologizing to your _bank account_.” He smiled gently and raised his eyebrows again. Harrison felt the tension in his shoulders release and he allowed himself to laugh breathily in relief. Neil smiled a little wider, but then it twitched and Harrison tensed all over again.

“I still don’t get why you didn’t just order a sweeter coffee if you don’t take yours black. It’s not like I would’ve judged you.” Harrison felt choked up when Neil sent him a quizzical look. His stomach was in knots again and his fingers were beginning to shake from not fiddling for so long. He finally tugged softly on the sleeves of his jacket, staring down at the table. He realized that he was silent for too long, trying to think of a subpar lie on the spot.

But, at the same time, he was getting _real_ tired of bullshitting.

“I, uh, actually.. can’t drink.. coffee.” He ended lamely. He heard the soft scrape of ceramic on the table; Neil must have jerked in surprise.

“ _What?_ ” Neil whispered. Harrison was pretty sure that it was supposed to be only for himself, but he looked up anyway, forcing himself to look at Neil’s confused face.

“I’m allergic to coffee. I can’t drink it.” He said quietly, heart thumping so hard that it felt like his chest was going to crack open at any given moment.

“Wh..” Neil’s eyebrows slanted and he just stared at Harrison for a few seconds, then at the coffee mug, and then he glanced around the place a few times. In the end, his focus fixated back onto him. Harrison didn’t really know how, but he knew that he was watching Neil put two and two together, gears turning in his head. Harrison yanked on his sleeves harshly, nerves starting to hit him harder than ever, but he refused to let himself look away. It was time to just give the performance up.

His heart stopped when Neil’s eyes finally widened, head _finally_ wrapping around what the truth was. Neil let out one shaky breath, face beginning to flush.

“.. _Me_ , then?” Neil whispered. “You come here for _me?_ ”

Harrison gulped, face burning hot, and nodded.

And then, what Harrison envisioned as the worst possible outcome happened; Neil went silent. Suddenly, Harrison felt the weight of his fears beginning to crush him. His knee bounced fast and he glanced towards the door, considering the best possible options for a quick escape. After a minute, he was about to just up and leave, but Neil, still red-faced, lifted the mug to his lips again, drank, and set it back down again with a determined nod.

“In that case, I’m paying.” Neil said.

Harrison’s eyebrows slanted. His worry lifted again, the crumbs of it falling onto his shoulders as confusion. He cocked his head, concerned about the amusement swimming in the ocean that was Neil’s eyes.

“.. What for..?” He tried cautiously, pursing his lips in suspicion. Neil quirked one brow and grinned, bringing the mug back up to his lips.

“Our first date?” He said it like it was obvious, like Harrison was ridiculous for not knowing, then drank from the mug again. Harrison was pretty sure all the wind was knocked out of him, eyes widening dramatically. The blush from earlier came back full force; Harrison felt like his face was a fuse and Neil just lit the match.

“Wh.. _Wait_ ,” Harrison sputtered, “Why do you get to pay? Let me have a little bit of dignity here, please.”

“I owe you for spending so much money just to see me, dumbass! Plus, I didn’t make a move at all until now, and that was only because my friend yelled at me and threatened to kill me if I didn’t just ask, since apparently I was ‘being super annoying because I was so smitten’,” Neil did finger quotes, “And so, quite honestly, I am doing this completely out of pure fear. No, wait. _Shit_ , not that I don’t like you or anything, because I do, I just meant- Oh, _Jesus fucking Christ_. Just let me pay, Harrison.” Neil cut himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. Harrison was stunned; It took him a moment to take in that entire rant, but when it clicked, he smiled gently.

“.. Your friends too, huh?” He murmured. Neil groaned loudly, covering his face with his hands.

“ _Yes_.” was his muffled reply.

Harrison practically cackled like a typical Disney villain.

* * *

There was a knock on his apartment door and Harrison practically sprinted to it.

To say he was excited was an understatement, and that could not have been more clear. He tried to slow himself down when he got closer to the door, mostly not to crash, but also not to break out in a sweat. He almost tripped because of this, but he managed not to fall over and instead caught himself on the doorknob. As he stood, he swung the door open.

“Am I overdressed?” Neil grinned and raised his arms, gesturing towards his outfit. Harrison took one quick scan; White dress-shirt, black skinny jeans, black leather belt and loafers, all topped off with a cream-colored trench coat. Harrison nodded once, then looked up to make eye contact.

“Actually, you look rather dashing.” He grinned. Neil’s cheeks gained a bit of color, but the corners of his lips twitched up.

“You ready to go?” Neil asked, jerking his head towards the elevator at the end of the hallway. Harrison nodded enthusiastically, clapping once or twice. He stepped out the door, about to shut the door behind him when Neil held a hand up.

“You might want a jacket. It’s kind of cold out there, you know.” He hummed thoughtfully. “It’s almost winter.” Harrison pursed his lips in consideration, but then shrugged.

“I think I’ll be okay.” He pulled his door shut and slid the key in to lock it. When he turned around again, Neil was staring down at him with one eyebrow raised.

“I’m going to end up giving you my coat, aren’t I?”

Harrison gasped gently, already blushing for the first of many times (he was sure) that night. He huffed and smacked Neil’s bicep, turning on his heel and walking toward the elevator. He heard Neil snicker behind him, so he looked back to see him casually jogging to catch up. He pressed the ‘down’ button for the elevator, clasping his hands behind his back to wait patiently. Neil reached him just as the door slid open.

“Where are we going?” Harrison asked as they stepped into the elevator. Neil shrugged.

“Not a coffee shop.” He must’ve noticed Harrison beginning to pout, because he reiterated: “It’s a surprise.” They exited the elevator, and then the building as a whole soon after. Neil turned right and Harrison sped up to keep close.

They kept walking in silence for a bit, with Harrison sneaking glances up at Neil and appreciating how his jawline was highlighted in the dimmer lights of the city evening and how his bright blue eyes were shining bright enough to see them as purple. Harrison’s heart fluttered when Neil caught his eye and the corners of his lips quirked up.

“Can’t you tell me where we’re going now?” Harrison asked, tired of the silence.

"No.” Neil said bluntly. Harrison frowned.

“Not even a hint?” He pouted. Neil glanced down, eyebrows raised. Harrison didn’t fail to notice the way his cheeks flushed the tiniest bit.

“You’re persistent, huh?” Neil chuckled when Harrison nodded. “I already said it wasn’t a coffee shop, but there _is_ food involved.”

“Like a restaurant?” Harrison’s eyebrows slanted in thought. Neil shook his head.

“Not _exactly_.”

Neil turned the corner and Harrison followed. He recognized the area; The edge of the city park, with fairy lights dangling from the branches of the trees since the holiday season was starting up. There was a brick patio next to the pathway, where a few food trucks were parked, and although Harrison wasn’t expecting that, his anticipation for the night did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, he gasped gently, eyes widening as his excitement grew. He bounced on the balls of his feet, energetically looking up at Neil, who smiled fondly down at him.

“When I first moved to the city, this was the first place my friends and I went to. I’m fond of it and I thought you might be too.” He explained and looked back at the trucks, flushing pink, but never letting his smile drop.

Harrison was about to respond when a bright pink truck caught his eye. As soon as he caught a glimpse of the word ‘ _boba_ ’, he gasped excitedly and grabbed onto Neil’s arm, bouncing giddily. He began to drag Neil to the truck, tripping up a few times at first because Neil was stumbling behind him. Harrison stopped abruptly in front of the truck, clinging tightly onto Neil’s bicep and continuing to bounce. He looked up to see Neil’s confused expression (probably wondering why Harrison would want a cold drink in _November_ ), but then the corners of his lips twitched up like he couldn’t help but smile. Harrison’s heart felt like it was swelling.

They both ordered a drink (strawberry for Harrison, honeydew for Neil), and Harrison was about to hand his debit card over when Neil (quite aggressively) slapped his own card down. They were handed their drinks after Neil paid and then they began to walk away. Harrison, realizing he was still holding onto Neil’s arm, quickly let go and took one large sip from his tea.

“You didn’t have to pay for me, you know.” Harrison mumbled into his straw, flushing bright red.

“I already told you that I was paying.” Neil reminded him, then snickered. Harrison gently hit his arm again, then stopped in front of a bench. Neil took a few more steps and turned around to see Harrison sitting down, face starting to flush when Harrison looked up and patted the spot next to him. Neil set himself down next to him and Harrison suddenly felt timid again.

Harrison chewed gently on his straw as he took in the sights around him, all except for the left of him where Neil was. It was an annoying contradiction; Harrison was comfortable, yet not to the point where he felt the need to bite his tongue and keep his eyes off. Instead, he traced the wires of the fairy lights hanging from the branches and remembered briefly how, as a kid, he thought that actual fairies were trapped in those bulbs. The magical feeling felt more prevalent than it ever did when he was younger and it was almost scary. With the rosy hues enhancing the block, he felt sure that it was because the lighting was romantic, _beautiful_.

“.. It’s pretty..” He made his thoughts audible, mumbling into his straw again.

He heard Neil chuckle to the side of him. Harrison turned his head to finally focus his attention onto his date and immediately blushed upon noticing that Neil had literally been staring at him the entire time, a small smirk on his face. Flustered, he raised his hand and smacked Neil’s bicep, then pushed him away gently.

“I didn’t even do anything!” Neil feigned heartbreak, placing a hand over his heart and sighing dramatically. Harrison huffed quietly.

“You’re completely unfair.” He frowned and Neil’s smile drooped a little. Harrison crossed his arms and blew a raspberry.

“I mean, I’m shy around people I like and you just- You make me so nervous that I want to curl into a ball and hide under a table.” He explained. “And you just stay so.. so _cool headed_. It’s completely not fair.” Harrison pouted, glaring gently at him. Neil was quiet for a moment, but then his smile stretched back to the same width as before.

“Oh, _man_. I totally fooled you, huh?” Neil laughed. “Dude, I’m a fucking nervous _wreck_.”

“Yeah, okay. _Sure_.” Harrison pursed his lips.

“No, I’m being serious.” Neil’s smirk turned into a sheepish smile. “You’re like.. actually really pretty, so I was on the verge of a fucking panic attack when we met and the few meets after that. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t notice at all.” He laughed awkwardly and Harrison felt his stomach twist up.

“Well, _geez_.. _Sorry_ I was too busy embarrassing myself in front of you and getting all flustered because _you_ kept _teasing_ me.” He mumbled. Neil snorted and Harrison’s heart did a flip.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Neil rubbed the back of his neck. “My friend, Max- The guy who threatened me into asking you out- He kind of rubbed off on me and now my natural reaction is to be a dick and embarrass others when I’m nervous, which is about ninety-percent of the time. I think it’s because if others are the butt of the joke then _I_ don’t have to be.”

“But,” Harrison pouted, “It seemed like you enjoyed embarrassing me.”

Neil laughed.

“Oh, no. I _absolutely_ did.”

Harrison gaped, scoffing gently. He hit Neil’s arm again, crossing his arms and pursing his lips right after. Neil snickered and tentatively rubbed his arm.

“You keep hitting me! Stop it!” He laughed through his scolding, cheeks flushing red anyway. “Your reactions were cute, that’s all.”

“.. You’re an ass.” Harrison muttered, cheeks flaring as well. Neil laughed again and lifted his drink, bringing it towards Harrison’s.

“Cheers to that.”

Harrison, giggling behind his hand, bumped his plastic cup into Neil’s.

* * *

Put bluntly, Harrison ended up having a good time. He even discovered that Neil’s hands were really warm, even if he didn’t know who linked their pinkies together in the first place.

And if that meant Harrison was falling harder, then he was welcoming it with outstretched fingers for fate to link onto.

* * *

Harrison’s arms were starting to get cold by the time Neil began to walk him back to his apartment. It probably was because the later hours of the evening were chillier than the earlier ones, but even still Harrison was convinced that it had to be for a different reason since his chest still felt warm. Even so, the November-night air nipped at his skin enough to get him to shiver lightly.

He heard Neil scoff out a laugh next to him, some shuffling, and then a warm weight was placed on his shoulders. It took him a second to register that Neil had dropped his coat onto him, but when it did, his face suddenly felt hotter than the jacket. He grabbed onto the hem and tugged it in, wrapping the material more around himself, then looked up.

“.. Thank you.” His voice was just above a whisper.

He expected Neil to tease him like he did before, bringing up how he had told him this was going to happen, but he didn’t. Instead, Neil opened his mouth like he was going to, then shut it like he decided not to out of nowhere, and Harrison appreciated the way his ears turned more red than they were already from the cold.

“.. You’re welcome.” His volume matched Harrison’s.

Then, Neil faced forward again and Harrison didn’t miss the way he bit his lip right after. He looked ahead as well, stomach flipping as he shoved his arms though the jacket. He stole a glance up at Neil again, but then his eyes traced back down to the sleeves of Neil’s dress shirt, and with a sudden stroke of bravery, he looped his arms around Neil’s left and began walking closer to him.

Neil stumbled in his step (probably from the surprise of Harrison clinging onto him out of nowhere) and so Harrison looked up at him again. He wasn’t looking at Harrison again, but his cheeks were cherry red and he had the smallest smile on his face.

They walked like that for a while and eventually, they reached Harrison’s apartment complex. Harrison didn’t let go of Neil’s arm until they reached his door, and even then he hesitated to release him, but he did, of course. He shimmed out of Neil’s coat, folding it over his forearm.

“Thank you for tonight.” He said as he handed the jacket over. Neil’s fingers brushed over his wrist and Harrison jolted slightly, the electric feeling coursing up his arm.

“.. Maybe I can top it with the next one?” Neil asked, a shy smile appearing on his face. Harrison gasped gently out of surprise of the sudden proposal, but he couldn’t help but smile back.

“I can’t wait.” He said, heart fluttering as he watched Neil’s smile turn into a full-blown grin.

It was quiet for a moment, Neil looking down at his shoes shyly and Harrison fiddling with his fingertips for a second. With another spark of bravery, he stepped closer and stood on his tip-toes to plant a small kiss onto Neil’s cheek, gently clinging onto Neil’s shoulders.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He whispered as he dropped his heels and removed his hands. Neil was kind of gaping, eyes wide and face flushed completely red.

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, Tomor-” Neil’s voice was squeaky and so he cleared his throat. “Tomorrow.”

Seeing Neil flustered left Harrison with a weird satisfied feeling. He giggled.

“Good night.” He stepped backwards, pushing his door open and entering his apartment again.

“Good night.” Neil whispered in response as Harrison shut his door closed.

Harrison leaned against his door, heart jumping around wildly. He slapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from squealing and he brought his other hand up for support when he heard a little celebratory _“Yes!”_ come through the door, followed by the sound of footsteps walking away. He dropped his hands when the sound was gone, breathing heavily through his grin.

 _Oh gosh, I really_ am _fucked._

**Author's Note:**

> THIS TOOK ME THREE WHOLE WEEKS TO WRITE AND I LISTENED TO ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU ON LOOP FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF IT THANK YOU.


End file.
